Wireless communications capabilities are increasingly being integrated into portable devices, including laptop computers, handheld devices (such as personal digital assistants (PDAs)), and mobile phones. The integration of such capabilities can provide users with anywhere and anytime connectivity to information resources.
Power consumption is a key feature for such devices. For instance, lower power consumption levels correspond to increased operational times between necessary battery charging sessions. As a result of this, the device user's experience may be enhanced.
Wireless mesh networks operate in accordance with a decentralized and collaborative approach. For instance, the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11s standard provides for wireless networks composed of multiple devices (called mesh points). These devices form links among them. Moreover, information can be routed through these links in accordance with various routing protocols.
Current drafts of IEEE 802.11s (such as IEEE 802.11s Draft Standard 1.08) provide power management mechanisms that aim to conserve device power. However, these mechanisms often result in undesirable network operations.